Sweeter Than Chocolate
by raurauslly.music
Summary: Nothing's wrong with giving hazelnut filled chocolates or roses to your significant other on Valentine's Day. But Ally Dawson is special, Austin Moon realized. She deserved better. His ideas for her on Valentine's Day are sweet, but they'll never be as sweet as his love for Ally.


**(A/N): Okay, I know it's like, a long time since Valentine's Day, but I hope you don't mind this late one-shot. ;) I would've posted this one-shot on Valentine's Day, but this is literally the fourth idea I wrote down before I decided to keep going with it and publish. Plus, I got this idea on Valentine's Day itself, NOT two or three weeks before, which I prefer. Let me just tell you...**

**Once my eyes looked at the Mini M&M heart-shaped box at Walgreens, this idea went KA-BOOM!**

**I was getting a gift for a friend on Valentine's Day, so that's how I got this idea. :P I love explaining how I get all my story ideas. (I'll post the background stories to all my fanfics on my profile, sooo. :) :D I hope you enjoy this one-shot, despite its delay. Read On! :D**

**Oh, and this one-shot goes out to all the amazing people at da blog. Megan, Watermelon(e...?), Lucy, _Name-I-Probably-Won't-Ever-Know_ (Yes, that's you, KLA. XDEE) and all the other amazing people there. Seriously, you guys are the best! :D Like, _DA BEST OF ZE_ BEST.**

**Oh, and the reason why I'm posting this late is because _someone_ didn't want to wait for after school tomorrow... ;) XDEE **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally or my favorite childhood candy, M&M's.**

* * *

There's a better option than giving hazelnut filled chocolates and roses to your other half on Valentine's Day, Austin Moon thought.

What was the better option?

He didn't know. And that was his problem.

The frustrated rock star ran his hands through his hair. The question had bombarded him for nearly two weeks. He stopped pacing his room and flopped on his unmade bed. Noticing the packet of M&M's on his nightstand, he grabbed it and tore it open. The sounds of the constant munch of color-coated chocolate candy filled Austin's quiet room.

_What will I do for Ally on Valentine's Day?_

Today was Friday, two weeks before Valentine's Day. This year, Austin wanted to make Valentine's Day special. Why? Because the blonde's feelings have grown to the point where he can't hide them anymore.

He has feelings for his songwriter and best friend, Ally Dawson.

Austin stared at the ceiling, but he wasn't thinking about Valentine's Day. He could only think of Ally. Her sweet, chocolate eyes made his insides melt and his brain swirl around. That angelic face, so innocent and pure. Every time he looked at her, he felt captivated by her beauty.

He didn't love Ally just because of her looks. He loved her personality, too. She fit all the criteria for Austin's ideal significant other, even though he doesn't realize it. She was kind. She loved music as much as he did. She encouraged him to go after his dreams. She supported him in his decisions, even if it meant sacrificing something dear to her. A good friend is a patient listener, something Ally was. She was as loyal as Dez, his other best friend.

Because Valentine's Day was coming up soon, Austin decided to tell her how he felt about her. He was pretty sure she liked him back.

At least he hoped so.

Originally, he had planned to give his best friend a box of chocolates and roses. But over the past few days, Austin realized what he was doing wasn't from his heart.

Yes, nothing was wrong with giving chocolate and roses to Ally. But Ally is a unique girl. She deserved something better. He was going to make this Valentine's Day incomparable to any other day.

But how will he do that?

The blonde looked down at the M&M's in his palm.

He had an idea.

* * *

When I felt something other than my book in my locker after school, I thought:

A) Someone is playing a prank on me for Valentine's Day, or  
B) SOMEONE TOUCHED MY BOOK!

Neither of the choices was true.

I stood on my tippy toes so I could reach the top shelf of my locker, where my book is. My hand touched something rippled, but smooth, like silk fabric folded sloppily. Whatever it is, I knew the objects were on top of my book. I tentatively brought the items down.

Besides my book, I found a little plastic bag of M&M's the size of my palm and a piece of folded notebook paper.

I smiled. Someone sent me a Valentine's Day gift? Whoever left these in my locker is so sweet!

My backpack slipped off my shoulder. I let it fall to the floor. I unfolded the piece of paper and leaned against my locker. My eyes wandered to the bottom of the page. I smiled at the signature, which was written in red ink.

_Hey, Ally!_

_Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you have a really great day today, because you deserve it. You're my best friend and songwriter wrapped into one. I couldn't ask for more._

_Actually, there is one thing I wanted to ask you. I wanted to tell you in this letter, but I'm not good with words. So, I'm doing this differently._

_Did you see the bag of M&M's in your locker? You should, because it's important. And because it's important, can you please not eat them yet?_

_I'll explain. Look at the M&M's._

I felt butterflies erupting in my stomach. Why didn't I think of Austin? He was the one who left the candy in my locker! The things he does for me...

I did what he said in the letter; I looked at the M&M's.

I noticed something different. The M&M's were in a clear plastic bag, tied with yellow and red ribbon. But what really surprised me was the color of the M&M's. Red and yellow M&M's were the only color in the bag, instead of the classic colors of red, orange, brown, yellow, green, and blue. That wasn't all.

Some of the M&M's looked different. In fact, all of them were different from the ones you would buy from your local grocery store. Some M&M's had numbers on them. Others had pictures or some text. I didn't bother to read what they said though. I continued reading the letter.

_Did you notice something different? M&M's can be personalized, so that's what I did this Valentine's Day. The M&M's are in the colors red and yellow. And almost every single M&M has a number and a little message on it. All the other M&M's have our picture on them._

_I want you to put the numbers in order. Then, you'll see my secret Valentine's message! I really hope you like it, since it's important. Oh, I almost forgot. If the M&M doesn't have a number, then you can eat it. I knew you would be hungry, Alls._

_Your Best Friend,_

_Austin_

I laughed and squealed a little. Austin. He was always doing things I never expect, which could be good or bad. After reading the letter one more time, I thought where I would read his Valentine's message. I needed a large, clean table, because I would need to spread the M&M's out.

I knew the perfect place.

I carefully sorted everything in my locker once more. Then I hoisted my backpack on my shoulder and walked to the destination I had in mind.

* * *

After school, the on campus school café is bustling with students socializing, doing homework, and many other things. The café is one of my favorite places in the Marino High School, besides the music room. This café is also the perfect place to decipher Austin's message on the M&M's.

The café was at the corner of the school property. The stone steps outside led up to a small courtyard. Round tables and black metal chairs filled the courtyard, like the ones you would find in New Orléans or in a French restaurant. Two sets of double doors were at the entrance to the inside of the café.

Inside the café, you would face a wall was just a huge glass window, and it overlooked the school parks and fields. To the left was a small stage. Sometimes, skits and different music groups in the school would perform there. There was a black baby grand piano on the stage and a red curtain against the wall. On the right was the café counter. Some students worked there after school, including Trish, but she got fired last week for putting wasabi instead of spinach in the smoothies. The café had similar furniture as the courtyard. There was also a set of comfy chairs on both sides of the glass window.

The café was one of my favorite places because it inspired me sometimes. I would sit at a table in the corner and observe my environment. I would listen for interesting conversations, but not in an eavesdropping way. Sometimes, I would write in my book or come up with a new song.

I made a beeline for the secluded table in the corner. I set my backpack on one of the chairs and sat down on the other chair. I put Austin's letter and the bag of M&M's on the table.

I gazed at Austin's letter. What was he going to say in the M&M's? Was he just dropping a quick Valentine's note for me or something more? I reached for the bag of M&M's and dumped the candy out.

For the next ten minutes, I sorted out the M&M's by number. Like Austin said, some M&M's had a picture of us, without numbers. I set those aside. After I ordered them, I flipped each M&M over to read the message.

I glanced over the message. I was expecting each M&M to have a single letter, but it wasn't the case. Each M&M had a small phrase. I saw why he put the M&M's in order. Some of the candies didn't make sense, because you had to read a few more M&M's to get the full sentence. He had a limit for each candy, so it would make sense he didn't use full sentences in a single M&M. I would say he had about ten letters on each M&M. I breathed in and out, letting my shoulders slump a little. I wanted to know what Austin would say, but at the same time, I didn't know what to expect. I started to read.

_The day we_

_First met,_

_I stole the_

_Spotlight_

_That you_

_Deserved._

_But it was_

_The best_

_Day of_

_My life._

_As we got_

_To know_

_Each other,_

_My feelings_

_For you_

_Only got_

_Stronger._

_And I don't_

_Mean it in_

_A friendly way._

_Here's some_

_Things that_

_I love about you._

_Your smile_

_That lights_

_Up the world._

_Your laugh_

_Makes my_

_Heart skip._

_I haven't found_

_Another girl_

_Whose passion_

_For music_

_Outshines yours._

_You make me_

_Feel like_

_I can do_

_Anything,_

_As long as_

_You're with me._

_I don't_

_Want to_

_Ruin... Us._

_I love_

_You and me_

_When we're_

_Austin & Ally._

_Together,_

_We're better._

_Without you,_

_It's different._

_One thing_

_I know:_

_I love you,_

_More than_

_As friends._

_Be my Valentine?_

_After you_

_Read this,_

_Please go_

_To our_

_Favorite spot. _**(1)**

I was breathless. I could hear my heart pounding in my ear. My eyes wouldn't leave the M&M's on the table.

Austin...Loves me? He loves _me_, Ally Dawson?

Right now, I wanted to jump into his arms and just hug him for his sweet Valentine.

Ever since I was little, I always dreamed what my Prince Charming would be like. He would love music, listen, accept me as I am, urge me to reach for the stars, and so much more. I would list all of them little things I would like in my Prince in my book; that's why I was so protective over it. But I doubted if I would ever find my Prince Charming. I felt like all the things I wanted in my prince were too much, that I was making a fantasy of my own.

Then Austin Moon came into my life.

Nothing could have prepared me to meet him. When I first met him, he was just annoying customer. We've come a long way since then. One by one, each little thing he did started to fit my list of my Prince Charming.

He loved music, just as much as I do. He was sweet. He was caring. He always helped me, even when I didn't see his intentions. He stood up for me. He encouraged me to conquer my stage fright. Working with him has made me a better artist and songwriter. He... He made me feel like my life was complete. I knew I could depend on him. I needed him. Even though he didn't fit all the expectations I had, like _loves cloud watching_, _is a good student,_ and _loves pickles_, he was a special person in my life.

But did I love him?

I know I like Austin. We dated for barely two days, then broke up. I never wanted to break up with Austin. I really didn't. Even after we broke up, I started to fall for him slowly, like I was drifting down in the sky with a parachute.

Was this love?

I couldn't tell.

I scooped up the M&M's and poured them back into the plastic bag. I ate the rest of the M&M's, the ones with our picture.

I thought about Austin. Was I ready to date him? Were we ready to go into a relationship? With school and our careers, could we still be Austin and Ally?

Maybe... Maybe I was ready. Something was holding me back though. All my doubts were like a glass wall between Austin and me. I could see him, but I was scared to break the glass to reach him. I felt fear. What if we started dating, but then he would get tired of me? I can't afford to be heartbroken. What about his career? Would I get in the way of his path to a successful future? I never, ever want to hurt Austin or keep him from doing the things he loves. If he had to choose between music and me, would he choose me over music? Or the other way around?

What about the other people that might be affected by our relationship? Kira dated Austin for a while. Is she truly over him, or does she still like him? I might disappoint Cassidy too, because if she comes back, she would be expecting a date from Austin. But it wasn't just Austin's ex-crushes and girlfriends that were holding me back. I knew my father approved of our friendship, but would he like a relationship between us? So many things between us would change. I didn't want change.

But without change, how will I grow? If I never changed, I would still be shy songwriter who hates the stage. Without change, I would still be the nerd who works in Sonic Boom. Without change, Austin would have never came into my life. Without change, I would get nowhere.

I finally knew what to do.

I finished the M&M's and picked up my backpack. I started to stand up when I remembered something.

_After you read this, please go to our favorite spot._

What was our favorite spot? I ran through a mental checklist. The Sonic Boom Practice Room, Mini's... The piece clicked in my mind.

Pickles' Pond.

When Austin and I got to know each other, he found out about Pickles. Unfortunately, a parking lot replaced Pickles' home. After Pickles was in an animal reserve for about a month, a park in Miami had a new pond. They let Pickles live there. Since I knew Pickles so well, they let name the pond. Thus the name, "Pickles' Pond."

Austin was the only one besides me who knew about my friendship with Pickles. Naturally, he found Pickles' Pond, and we often go there to chill out, get away from Trish and Dez's squabbles, or to write a song. After the practice room at Sonic Boom, the pond was my favorite place to stay.

I adjusted my backpack on my shoulder. I started to walk to Pickles' Pond.

* * *

I clutched the bag of M&M's in my hand. My palms were sweaty. My heart started to do a marathon. I breathed out, squaring my shoulders as my eyes scanned over Pickle's Park.

The park was an oval shape, and the road circled around it. The park wasn't small, but it wasn't big either. The park was a perfect place for a picnic, a game of checkers in the breezy gazebo, or just hanging out. There were wooden benches and tables around the park, encouraging people to sit down and relax. Several gardens in the park were blooming with an array of colors. If you looked closely behind some weeping willow trees in one corner of the park, you could see a small pond, the perfect place for swimming in the summer time.

The trees and the pond behind it, named Pickles' Pond, was my favorite place in the park. I loved it there because I could lean against the trunk of the tree and watch the sunrise or sunset. I also loved the tree because the branches were like a curtain, shielding me from the outside world. Even better, Pickles' Pond was just after the curtain of willow branches. It wasn't the biggest or grandest pond in the world, but to Pickles and me, it was perfect. The water in the pond is usually calm, but it ripples when there's a breeze outside. There was a wooden dock on the pond. In summer, I would sit on the dock of the pond and let my feet dangle in the water.

After the practice room at Sonic Boom, this was my favorite place to write a song. Before I went into high school, I used to come here almost every weekend to write a song or get inspired to write a song. I remembered taking off my shoes and socks, so I could feel the cool, dewy grass on my feet. It was especially beautiful at sunrise, when the sun's rays would light up the park, sort of like making a room brighter by adjusting the dimmer on a light switch. Watching the sun rise was like watching a quiet firework show.

After knowing Austin for a long time, we started to hang out here often. Trish and Dez didn't know about this place, and that's another reason I love it here. Sometimes, Austin and I would talk, swim, or write a song. Once, he convinced me to sneak out to the pond in the summer night. We spent an hour laying on the grass and looking at the navy blue sky and a silver circle, the moon.

I took a deep breath again. I started to walk to the willow tree. Something compelled me to move faster though, so I broke into a half jog and half sprint. I slowed down as I got closer to the tree.

I peeked between the branches of the willow tree. I saw Austin.

His back was towards me, but I could tell he was waiting for me. I could see his shoes and socks on the bank. He was sitting on the dock, and his feet were swaying languidly in the water. I pushed the branches of the tree away and walked towards him. The soft green grass silenced my footsteps. Austin didn't hear me yet.

I proceeded to set my backpack on the bank and slip off my shoes. I was in a rush leaving the house this morning, so I didn't have any socks. Austin jumped when he saw me sit down beside him on the dock. I kept my feet on the dock, but I pulled them to my right side. I let the breeze lap at my feet, making me feel at rest. I was now able to see Austin clearly.

I placed the bag of M&Ms in his lap.

Austin glanced curiously at me. He reached for the bag and held it in his palm.

"Um..." Austin smiled anxiously. "What did you think?"

I smiled at the water below us. I studied his reflection in the rippling water. I faced him. "That was really sweet of you, Austin. Thank you. No one's ever done this to me before. Your idea was really unique and sweet." I nudged him at my little pun. He laughed.

"It's nothing. I just wanted to do something special for you today, since it's Valentine's Day." Austin avoided my gaze and studied the water in the pond.

"Thanks again. I'm really glad you're my best friend." My voice faltered at the words best friend.

Austin locked eyes with me.

I blushed and looked away.

"About that... Uh..." Austin stuttered over his words. He scratched the back of his neck.

"I think I love you."

I froze. Reading "I love you" on an M&M was different from hearing it.

"You do?"

Austin looked away from the pond and looked at me. "Yeah, I do." A shy smile played on his lips.

"I lo- lo-" I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

"I like you, too," I admitted. Why could I say I loved him?

Austin read my thoughts. "You don't have to say it now. Just say it when you're ready, 'cause I know you love Austin Moon!" Austin smirked.

"Thanks, Austin," I said, rolling my eyes. I mentally gushed at how adorable Austin is. "What does this make us then?"

Austin shrugged. "I want you and me, side by side. Together. Like..." He trailed off.

"You mean boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"Yeah." Austin nodded slowly, his gaze fixed upon me. "But you don't have to. I don't want to pressure you, Ally. If you're not ready, just say so."

"I- I think I'm ready, but I don't know," I admitted.

Austin smiled, but it was a somber one.

"We won't know until we try." When I turned my head towards him, I blinked. He stared right back at me.

Up close, I studied Austin's face. I could see why girls liked him. His blonde hair fell on his forehead. I glanced at his cotton candy colored lips, but I averted my gaze to his eyes. That was a mistake.

Brown eyes weren't enough to describe his eyes. Once, I remember putting honey in my mom's tea. Her tea was a dark color, so the honey swirled in the tea up when I stirred it. The tea looked like golden fairy magic dust was floating on top. His eyes were almost just like that, but better. His eyes were like hot cocoa on a winter day. Staring at his eyes made me feel like I was going dissolve on the spot in happiness. When I looked into his eyes, I felt like all my deepest thoughts and secrets were revealed to him and there was nothing to hide. **(2)**

Maybe I was ready for a relationship. I know this was going change things between us. But how can I grow and mature without change? If I never took risks, how could I become the person I want to be? If I won the challenge, I can be happy. If I lose, I'll just grow from it.

While I was staring at him, I hadn't noticed that he was leaning towards me. Our noses were millimeters apart.

When our lips touched, it was like a lightning bolt surged through my body. I felt tingles. I closed my eyes. His lips were soft... Like a teddy bear. In fact, when we hugged, I felt like I was hugging a teddy bear. A really, really pillow soft, golden brown teddy bear. **(3)**

We pulled away at the same time. I quirked an eyebrow when he smirked.

"Your lips taste like chocolate," the boy said. We laughed. I studied his face, and I grinned.

"But no matter how sweet chocolate is," I said, "Nothing's sweeter than you being here with me, as your girlfriend." Austin beamed.

We kissed again, and I couldn't help but smile. His lips _did _taste like chocolate...

* * *

**(A/N): And yes, if you wanted to know, typing out little Valentine messages for Ally was _so_ hard, especially fitting them into this teeny tiny limit of 9 characters. :P To tell you the truth, I did break the limit a few times, but yeah... :P**

**Vat do ya tink? I know one-shots aren't really my thing, but that isn't an excuse, is it? ;) I tried to add more _descriptodas _to my writing, like when I described Pickles' Pond and the school cafe (which is based off my old school's cafe, but it's all indoor. :P). So... Thoughts? I really want to improve my writing, especially for one-shots, since I haven't posted a really, really great one-shot yet, in my opinion. :P**

**Oh and, I'm really sorry if you wanted to read this on Valentine's Day. I got the idea on Valentine's Day, but it wasn't until a week later I wrote it all down. Speaking of writing...**

**This one-shot is a little special to me. You see, I always have trouble writing things, especially since 13 Roses is over. Like, what happens next and all that. I have the plan in mind, I just... Don't know how to get there. :P 13 Roses was an exception because I just had to look up a rose meaning and construct the events around it, and BOOM goes the chapter. I had the same problem with this one-shot. I'd get to 300 words, and BOOM. All inspiration lost. So, I actually wrote the plan down instead of typing it (seriously, there's something about _writing_ writing...) and broke the one-shot into four parts. You might have noticed them. Opener, Ally Finds The M&M's, DA QUEST FOR ZA M&M'S, and AUSLLY. DUH. :D After that, I actually wrote the story backwards, from AUSLLY. DUH, to ****Ally Finds The M&M's, to **DA QUEST FOR ZA M&M'S, and the opener. And yes. I did name the four parts like that. XDEE

**(1) The reason why the message is broken up like that is because that's how Ally might have read it. Put it like this. For every message on a line, that's what Austin wrote. :)**

**(2) About the honey and tea reference... Idk if it's actually true, but the reason why I used it was because I was making my mom coffee, and supposedly coconut oil was a good energy booster. :P And I stirred the coconut oil in the coffee, and OMC! it was beautiful... I also Googled Austin and Ally, and just stared at them so I could try to feel what they felt when they looked at each other. XDEE**

**(3) Honey. You KNOW where this came from. XDEE ;)**

**So, after all I said there, do you guys like this one-shot...? :) Leave a review if you hated or liked or loved this one-shot. :P I'd like to hear (actually read :P) your feedback. :D**

**Until Next Time! :D**


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